Petition to the Minister of Foreign Affairs

Canada closed its embassy in Sarajevo on August 1, 2009 without a sound reason, and since, has no diplomatic representation in Bosnia and Herzegovina;

Many Canadians travelling to Bosnia and Herzegovina annually for tourist, business or educational purposes are being highly disadvantaged;

Exchanges between the two countries would be tremendously improved, considering there is an enormous brain drain of highly educated and skilled Bosnian professionals currently, being welcomed by the top EU and worldwide economies;

Canada is the only member of the Executive Board of Peace Implementation Council (PIC), monitoring the democratic progress of Bosnia-Herzegovina, since the 1995 Dayton Accord, which does not have its embassy in Sarajevo;

With its positive reputation in the world, Canada is missing out the opportunity to actively lead the other PIC members in contributing to the progress of democracy and strengthening the civil rights processes in Bosnia-Herzegovina, considering Canada has already invested millions of dollars in various projects in the postwar Bosnia and Herzegovina, and contributed with many Canadian solders for various peace missions; and

Bosnian government has been requesting the re-opening of Canadian embassy in Sarajevo on numerous occasions, even recently.

We, the undersigned, Canadian Citizens, call upon the Government of Canada to seriously consider the re-opening of the Canadian Embassy in Sarajevo in the best interest of Canadian citizens needing Canadian presence while visiting the country, as well as in the best interest of Canadian diplomacy, expediently demonstrating the leadership, in light of the current political stagnation of democratic progress in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

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